Sustainability

2012Annual

Progress Report

Sustainability is forever. Getting excited about an idea and its potential is just a be-ginning. It’s an energy source all its own. But it takes more than excitement, it takes commitment to sustain the focus. It takes hard work, knowledge, and leadership—ability.

At UC Santa Cruz we recognize that this passion for sus-tainability is our very own natural resource — one that is renewed and nourished year after year.

The following pages reflect the progress we have made in the past year toward our goals.

Sustainability is a part of who we are and what we value.

Campus Sustainability PlanMost successful projects have their roots in a well-thought-out plan. That is true for our sustainability efforts. Goals, objectives, metrics, and policy are all part of our Campus Sustainability Plan. In fact, our plan is part of a bigger plan guided by University of California system-wide policies and influenced by state regulation and best practices.

Cover image: Solar energy research in the lab of Sue Carter, professor of physics, includes the devel-opment of luminescent solar concentrators, which can be used to capture sunlight over a large area and concentrate its energy on a smaller area of solar cells. Luminescent solar concentrators, with solar cells arrayed along the edges, can be integrated into the windows of a building.

For new construction and renova-tions over $5 million, achieve LEED “Silver” and strive to achieve LEED “Gold” or equivalent, exceed the energy efficiency standards of CA Energy Code (Title 24) by at least 30% and exceed Labs21 EPC by 20% or more

Criteria for selecting leased space should include a interior rating that is equivalent to a LEED certified commercial space

Consistently incorporate “green workshops” early in the Detailed Project Program and Project Plan-ning Guide project phase; base design decisions on thorough life cycle cost analyses

Define criteria and set targets for implementation of sustainability guidelines for new projects and operation of built spaces and devel-oped outdoor areas

Define, incorporate and comply with sustainability guidelines in campus design standards for new projects and operations of built spaces and sustainable mainte-nance and operations policies

Develop and document opportuni-ties to integrate and communicate “economic and “social” benefits of sustainable design into construc-tion, operation and maintenance of campus buildings and facilities

Develop internal criteria, guideline and credits for sustainability perfor-mance of existing building; develop pilot auditing template and test on various building types; begin track-ing conversion of existing build-ing as % of total square footage, develop metrics, set targets

Largely due to student support, the Cowell Student Health Center met the goal of becoming certified LEED gold

63% of campus land is desig-nated as undeveloped areas

Annual water use reduced by an estimated 30 million gallons

12,000 vehicles trips kept off local roads in spring 2012, through alternative transpor-tation programs

Highlights

50% increase of student interns and volunteers actively engaged with land and habitat stewardship projects on the main campus

Secure and phase in staff and operational resources to implement critical stewardship programs and initiatives that 1) support instruction and research, 2) support environ-mental compliance and protect sensitive species and habitats, and 3) enhance community safety and enjoyment of campus natural areas

Initiate a Landscape Management Plan for main campus that includes a Fire and Vegetation Management Plan and provides strategies for effective habitat and sensitive spe-cies management

Develop a Collaborative Plan for increasing the use of campus lands for education and research

Maintain ADT to UCSC’s main campus below levels defined by the Comprehensive Settlement Agreement

Create and implement a policy that integrate sustainability criteria and Fleet Services review into the approval process of UCSC fleet vehicle purchases

Decrease percentage person-trips to and from UCSC’s main campus using single occupancy vehicles modes of transportation from 40% to 35%

Reduce campus fleet fuel use by 15%

Develop UC system-wide alterna-tive funding mechanisms for sus-tainable transportation initiatives

Maintain or decrease student per capita water use

Maintain or decrease campus water irrigation

Complete 19 high-priority water conservation projects identified in the Water Efficiency Survey

Install metering on unmetered irrigation points identified by the Water Curtailment Task Force

Reduce water use in non-residen-tial areas by implementing pro-grams that provide incentives for conservation

Create mechanisms for tracking cost savings resulting from reduced water use and redirecting said sav-ings to future water conservation measures

Achieved Progressing We can do better

2010-13 Campus Sustainability Plan. Our progress.

Buildings and

Facilities

Land, Habitat and Watershed

Transportation

Water

Reduce campus energy use (BTUs per Assignable Square Foot - ASF) by implementing planned energy efficiency projects in the Strategic Energy Plan

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 2000 levels by 2014 to the extent resources permit

Generate at least one megawatt of on-site renewable energy

Create a policy on growth related emission

Increase integration of energy and sustainability criteria into the design of new buildings and major renova-tions

Create a Green Fund for projects including mechanisms to track and reinvest savings

Compost 100% of potentially compostable and biodegradable materials from dining operations

Increase total food purchased for UCSC dining that meet one or more “sustainable” criteria to 25%

Complete green certification of remaining dining facilities and encourage certification of vendor- or self-operated coffee shops/café facilities on campus

Reduce purchase of meat by UCSC dining operations by 10% from 2008 levels to 19% of total food purchases and evaluate the mitigation impacts of UCSC’s car-bon footprint

Phase in sustainable procurement practices for remaining campus dining and vendor- or self-operated coffee shops/café facilities

Establish experiential learning garden sites at all colleges

Compost 100% of potentially com-postable and biodegradable materi-als from UCSC Dining operations

Conduct baseline campus-wide audit to effectively identify, prioritize and engage waste reduction/diver-sion strategies

Increase percentage of total reported waste self-hauled by Physical Plant to 90% for non-construction waste and 65% for construction waste by increasing capacity of waste man-agement equipment, facilities, and staff to the extent resources permit

Increase non-construction waste diversion to 75%

Develop a sustainable recharge rate to support long-term viability of waste diversion activities and strategies

Sustainable Purchasing Guide Increase percentage of total spend for purchases of office supplies with recycled content using Cruz-Buy e-procurement tool

Reduce print and copy paper use and move toward adopting 100% post consumer waste office paper standard

Review campus printing and copy-ing requirements and match re-quirements with appropriate Energy Star-rated network equipment

Develop appliance replacement plan based on cost-avoidance study and facility renovation sched-ule, and identify funding sources required to implement

Achieved Progressing We can do better

Achieved 2000 greenhouse gas levels ahead of 2014 goal

Exceeded the UC system goal of 20% sustainably-sourced food, leading the Chancellor to set a new target of 40%

Enabled campus purchasers to search for products flagged as “green” to increase en-vironmentally responsible purchasing options

Conducted the first ever cam-pus-wide waste assessment, revealing that 1/3 of the entire campus’ waste stream consists of used paper towels and napkins

Highlights

Energy and Greenhouse

Gas

Food

Recycling

Procurement

Campus Sustainability Plan continued

Campus Sustainability Internship Program (CSI)Curricular and Co-Curricular

A year-long combination course/in-ternship that helps students develop competencies necessary to become effective environmental professionals and leaders. Students are paired with staff or faculty mentors with whom they work collaboratively.

Chancellor’s Undergraduate Internship Program (CUIP)Co-Curricular

Competitive internship program that provides offices on campus an op-portunity to hire students to assist with campus projects. While projects are not necessarily related to sustainability many previous sustainability projects have been supported through the program.

CurriculumCurricular

When last assessed in 2006-07, UCSC offered 163 courses, internships and field studies from a broad range of dis-ciplines and departments that provided students an opportunity to learn about sustainability (38 graduate courses, 98 upper division undergraduate courses and 27 lower-division undergraduate courses). Of the 1,313 General Educa-tion classes identified in 2006-07, only 25 were sustainability-related. We plan to complete an assessment of campus curricular opportunities during the next Campus Sustainability Planning Cycle 2013-16.

Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP)Curricular, Student Initiative

A collaborative and interdisciplinary student-led effort to reshape the way students learn and engage in projects that support sustainability on campus. Supports student-led 2 and 5-unit sections, guest speakers, and inspires participants to internalize the concept of sustainability within academia and greater society.

Food SystemsCo-Curricular

Students have many opportunities to learn about sustainable agriculture and become involved in making the campus’ food system more sustain-able including: Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems; Life Lab Science Program (environmental education for schools); Food Systems Working Group; Students for Organic Solutions (Student Environmental Cen-ter campaign); College Gardens and garden internships.

Friends of the Community Agroecology Network (FoCAN)Research and Co-Curricular

“A student-initiated community that supports CAN’s mission of promoting rural livelihoods and sustainable food systems through action, education and participatory action research.”

Green Office Certification ProgramCo-Curricular

Educates and encourages faculty and staff to work toward a more sustain-able campus by providing them with a framework for implementing waste reduction and conservation practices in their workplace.

Impact Designs: Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service (IDEASS)Research and Education

Interdisciplinary 5-unit upper division capstone course open to students from all majors but emphasizing build-ing relations between Social Science (especially Environmental Studies) and Engineering. Students plan, implement and evaluate “green-tech” community- based (mainly off campus) service-learning projects.

Office of Physical Education, Recreation and Sports (OPERS)Co-Curricular

Offers day and weekend trips, ongo-ing classes (not for credit), free bicycle repair and licenses every Thursday, and wholesale prices for bike lights. Hosts special events at Earth Day, offers workshops on sustainability topics and organic farm tours, and visits to Native American Reservations to learn their approach to sustainability.

Program in Community and Agroecology (PICA)Co-Curricular, Student Initiative, Communication

The PICA residential program offers students an alternative to standard dorm living on campus and dem-onstrates the link between healthy communities and healthy food systems. PICA residents grow organic food together, direct a composting program, participate in weekly community meals, and organize 3 campus-wide sustain-ability events a quarter.

Sierra InstituteCo-Curricular

Introduces students to outdoor experi-ences as a venue for learning about the environment. It is a for-credit outdoor learning program that gives students fifteen units per academic quarter of learning, traveling and out-door activities.

Sustainable Living Center (SLC)Research, Curricular, Co-Curricular, Student Initiative, Communication

A model action education center that provides students an opportunity to engage meaningfully with food sys-tems, sustainability, and justice through experiential learning.

UCSC Natural ReserveResearch and Co-Curricular

Provides outdoor classrooms and living laboratories for students and fac-ulty across academic disciplines. The Reserve offers internship, volunteer, and hands-on opportunities to apply classroom learning in the field.

Education (Curricular and Co-Curricular) and Research

Awareness, Education, EngagementSustainable practices are integrated throughout UC Santa Cruz. From classrooms to dining halls to the Chancellor’s office— people are changing their behavior and they are helping others to change theirs, too. This is a passion with a purpose, a passion worth sharing. This section characterizes the curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities presented to students at UCSC. Some are in the classroom, while others are experiential and occur among peers or in informal situations.

Curricular Learning

Student Fee Measure 24: Transportation Co-Curricular and Student Initiative

The Student Transit Fee originated in 1972 to fund unlimited “fare-free” ridership by UCSC students on the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (SCMTD) buses operating within Santa Cruz County. In 1988 use of the fee was extended to include Campus Transit operations. In 2011-12, the fee generated $6.4 million in revenue—which funded the transport of 2.199 million UCSC student riders on SCMTD and another 2.305 million passengers on Day, Night, and Night Owl buses operated by TAPS Campus Transit. In 2012-13 SCMTD ridership (and billings) is expected to rise by 4-6% due to restoration of service cuts implemented in September 2011.

Student Fee Measure 43: Food, Heath and WellnessCo-Curricular and Student Initiative

Provides funding for programming and educational support related to sustain-able food, health and wellness initia-tives for on-campus and off-campus undergraduate students through a compulsory fee of $3.75 per quarter, per student. The fee generates more than $100,000 a year, which is admin-istered by the Center for Agroecol-ogy & Sustainable Food Systems in conjunction with student and faculty representatives.

Student Fee Measure 44: Carbon FundCo-Curricular and Student Initiative

In 2010, UCSC students voted, in record numbers, to pass Measure 44, creating UCSC’s Carbon Fund to pro-vide funding for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2011-

2012 academic year, the Carbon Fund received an allocation of $111,420. In Fall 2011, five projects were awarded grants totaling $108,146. In Winter 2012, three projects were awarded grants totaling $26,130.

Student Fee Measure 45: Sustainability InternshipsCo-Curricular and Student Initiative

Provides funding for the Sustainability Office to hire student interns, fund collaborative projects outlined in the Campus Sustainability Plan, and initiate a revolving loan fund for projects that implement sustainable and cost saving technology and practices. In 2011-12, the measure supported a full-time Sus-tainability Internship Coordinator; 26 student interns working in the Sustain-ability Office; eight students working across campus departments and units; and six professional development train-ings for student interns. In 2012-13, we will expand the Campus Sustain-ability Internship Program and develop strategies for piloting the revolving loan fund.

Campus Sustainability CouncilCo-Curricular and Student Initiative

Provide funding to registered UCSC student organizations for programs and events that create, implement, and monitor environmentally-sound practic-es on campus as established through the protocol outlined in the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus. In 2011, CSC funded projects in 11 organiza-tions in winter and 10 organizations in spring for a total of $153,313.

Real Food CommitmentStudent Initiative

Commits UCSC to meet or exceed 40 percent “real food” purchases in dining services by 2020. Currently, UCSC is operating at a 28 percent “real food” level, which exceeds the UCOP Sus-tainability Practices Policy mandate of 20 percent by 2020.

Zero Waste ProgramsCo-Curricular

Zero Waste initiatives are implemented collaboratively and strive to reach the UC system-wide goal of Zero Waste by 2020. In 2011-12, the EVC charged the Landfill & Solid Waste Diversion Task Force to conduct UCSC’s first-ever campus-wide waste assessment. Several successful pilot projects were initiated to address the findings including: Stevenson College dormitory paper towel removal; Porter, Merrill and Crown Colleges trash chute conver-sions and closures; campus-wide educational resources; recycling bin label re-design, and acquisition of a recycling sorting line to help separate high-value materials from the recycling stream.

Student Fee Measures

Events

Initiatives

Annual End-of-Year Sustainability CelebrationCo-Curricular/ Communication

Annual event where students, staff and faculty across campus reflect on sustainability accomplishments and set priorities for the coming year.

Earth SummitStudent Initiative

A student-initiated event for the campus community to determine their involvement and action for the topic areas covered in the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus. Much of the event is formatted by students and usually includes project planning, op-portunities to tackle the issues raised at the Student Environmental Center (SEC) breakout events, and workshops about current campaigns and efforts to increase campus sustainability.

Hosting National and International Partners Communication and Public Engagement

Events that connect UCSC to national and international partners provide an opportunity to learn and collaborate on sustainability. In the past year, UCSC welcomed Francis Moore-Lappe to discuss her book “Eco-Mind”, represen-tatives from Taiwan toured campus and shared sustainability efforts happen-ing in their Universities, and the Real Food Challenge came to UCSC for a national youth conference.

Sustainability Inter- Organizational RetreatCommunication and Public Engagement

The Sustainability Inter-Organizational Retreat brings students and staff together to foster a shared vision of sustainability, share best practices, learn through workshops, and develop collaborations to implement innovative

solutions to environmental challenges on campus.

Academic Courses

Faculty-Guided Research

Academic Projects for Credit

Experiential Learning

Service Learning

(No credit) Internships

Learning from Peers

Student Organizations

Campus Committees

Continuum from Formal, Classroom-Based Learning to Co-Curricular Experiences

Co-Curricular LearningEducation for

Sustainable Living Program (ESLP)

Program in Community and

Agroecology (PICA)

Global Information Internship Program

(GIIP)

For-Credit Internships

% Sustainable Food Purchases for Residential Dining Facilities

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

2009 2010

28 28

2011

2020 policy goal

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

2009 2010 2011

72 62 64

Greenhouse Gas Emissions(Thousand Metric Tons of CO2eq.)

2014 UC policy goal

% Solid Waste Diverted from Landfill

2012 UC policy goal

0

20

40

60

80

100

with Constructionand Demolition

w/o Constructionand Demolition

2009 2010 2011 2012 2009 2010 2011 2012

Potable Water Consumption (Gallons per Capita)

Baseline (02/03 - 04/05)

2011-120

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

14,200 9,100

2020 policy goal

The 2011 greenhouse gas emis-sions fell below the 2014 UC Policy goal. Planned abatement measures include approximately 3,300 metric tons of projects that are underway or imminent, and an additional 5,500 tons that do not yet have certain funding or are only conceptual.

In FY 2011-12, the Santa Cruz campus diverted 64% of its waste from the land-fill, a 10 percentage point decrease from FY 2010 -11. However, this decrease is completely due to having no construc-tion and demolition (C&D) waste in FY2011-12 after having a large volume of C&D waste in FY 2010-11. For non-C&D waste, the campus nearly doubled its diversion rate, increasing it to 63%. This rate is still below the 2012 goal.

The amount of sustainable food purchases for the residential dining program stayed constant from FY2010-11 to FY 2011-12. The Santa Cruz campus’ residential dining program has already surpassed the 2020 policy goal of 20% sustain-able food purchases.

In FY 11-12, the Santa Cruz campus consumed 9,100 gallons of potable water per capita. This is a 36% reduction from its FY 2002-03 to FY 2004-05 baseline, enabling the campus to surpass the 2020 Policy goal of reducing potable water con-sumption by 20% below the baseline.

University of California system-wide sustainability goals.

In the coming year we will continue to reach across departments and divisions to integrate sustainability into our daily operations and our campus planning.The next Campus Sustainability Plan is currently under-development. It will offer an opportunity to refine our goals and “dig-deeper”. It will reinforce the impact of our hard work, making sure our campus sustainability efforts do indeed, last forever.

Looking forward

In addition to progress made towards system-wide goals, UCSC currently remains below the 25,000MTCO2e emissions threshold by California’s AB32 Cap and Trade regulation.

Annual Sustainability Metrics for UC Santa Cruz Data in Fiscal Years (unless otherwise noted) 1989-90 1999-2000 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12

Buildings & Facilities

LEED buildings (Outside Gross Square Footage) 151, 550 151,550 281,908 281,908 316,942 430,729

Total Campus Outside Gross Square Footage 3,915,623 5,551,431 5,572,695 5,716,352 5,693,505 5,729,245 5,659,559

UCSC Leased Property (Square Footage) 359,324 372,745 408,332 314,202 309,516 165,431

Energy 1 *All energy data is reported in Calendar Years*

Greenhouse gas emissions (MTCO2e) 56,512 66,077 77,579 71,903 64,764 64,584 62,185 Pending

MMBTU/MGSF 0.104 0.101 0.096 0.098 0.099 Pending

Maintained Gross Square Footage (MGSF) 5,434,555 5,434,555 5,462,599 5,545,980 5,585,634 Pending

Electricity (kWh) 41,482,850 34,743,147 36,992,630 35,960,026 35,780,618 Pending

Natural Gas (Therms) 4,185,742 4,243,682 4,013,890 4,253,414 4,376,251 Pending

Propane (Gallons) 44,862 41,499 38,132 24,096 31,362 Pending

Diesel (Gallons) 8,444 17,272 26,451 11,556 19,246 Pending

Food

Pounds of Meat Purchased per transaction (lbs) 0.21 0.19 0.19 0.18 0.201

Dining Hall Compost Trucked (tons) 105 300 510 494

Land, Habitat, Watershed

Annual Interns & Volunteers 36.0% Interns: 55Volunteers: 144

Interns: 14 Volunteers: 173

Interns: 41 Volunteers: 145

Procurement & Business Contracts

% of Total Spend - OfficeMax Purchases with Recycled Content

11.0%2 15.7% 35.9% 31.25% Pending

Paper Puchases in Cases:Virgin/0% PCW30% PCW50% PCW100% PCW

Virgin: 38130%: 6,16250% : 8100%: 34

Virgin: 27130%: 4,07550% : 22 100%: 44

Virgin: 263 30%: 361550% : 35 100%: 325

Virgin: 195 30%: 256750% : 56100%: 185

Virgin: 346 30%: 259550% : 92100%: 217

Ave % PCW Content of Purchased Paper 28.7% 29.0% 33.7% 32.8% 32.0%

Transportation

% of UCSC Traffic in Single Occupant Vehicles 38% 35% 35% 34% 35%

Annual Weekday Average Daily Vehicular Trips 18,517 21,898 22,359 21,904 21,242 22,136 21,248 20,201

Campus Fleet Fuel Use Breakdown (Gallons) Pre-July 2008 fuel data reported in calendar years, and hence excluded from the data set

Diesel: 70,255 Unleaded: 164,847CNG: 2967

Diesel: 77,886 Unleaded: 139,306CNG: 3,741

Diesel: 88,805 Unleaded: 140,660CNG: 3,302

Diesel: 90,859 Unleaded: 130,659CNG: 5,671

TOTAL Campus Fleet Fuel Use (Gallons) Pre-July 2008 fuel data reported in calendar years, and hence excluded from the data set

238,069 220,933 232,768 227,189

Water

Water Usage (mGal) 219.83 216.29 187.54 169.28 178.28 160.49

Water Use Per Student (Gallons) 16,810 15,037 14,419 11,852 10,365 10,837 9,608

Irrigation Use (Thousands of Gallons) 44,923 44,705 40,178 33,054 34,835 51.425

Waste

% Non-Construction Waste Self-Hauled 84% 84% 82% undetermined3 undetermined3

% Construction Waste Self-Hauled 59% 62% 65% undetermined3 undetermined3

% Non-Construction Waste Diverted 46% 55% 54% 59% 58%

% Construction Waste Diverted 37% 90% 96% 93% 83%

% Total Diverted 45% 73% 87% 74%4 63.7%4

Other

On-Campus Students (3-Quarter Ave) 10,863 11,735 14,619 15,000 15,823 16,332 16,451 16,704

1 CY12 as of May 20122 FY08 as of Q4 (Apr-Jun 2008)3 Reduced staffing levels have affected the ability to

accurately track and report these figures

4 Reduction in capital construction as well as change in diversion calculation methodology at the system-wide level have contributed to lower overall diversion rates